CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rider safety will be front and center as Mecklenburg County commissioners prepare for a pivotal decision on the region's transportation future.

The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing and vote Tuesday night on whether to authorize the creation of a Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority. The proposed authority would oversee future transportation projects funded by a 1% sales tax increase already slated for the November ballot.

If approved by voters, the tax would generate millions of dollars for roads, buses, and rail improvements while allowing community members to serve directly on the new transportation authority.

The timing of Tuesday's vote is significant, coming less than a month after the stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska on the Blue Li

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